diff --git a/Documentation/git-grep.txt b/Documentation/git-grep.txt
index d7523b3e45..4a5837881d 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-grep.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-grep.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 'git grep' [-a | --text] [-I] [-i | --ignore-case] [-w | --word-regexp]
 	   [-v | --invert-match] [-h|-H] [--full-name]
 	   [-E | --extended-regexp] [-G | --basic-regexp]
-	   [-F | --fixed-strings] [-n]
+	   [-F | --fixed-strings] [-n | --line-number]
 	   [-l | --files-with-matches] [-L | --files-without-match]
 	   [(-O | --open-files-in-pager) [<pager>]]
 	   [-z | --null]
diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 18a64602ba..e60ad54b91 100755
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -1441,7 +1441,7 @@ _git_grep ()
 		__gitcomp "
 			--cached
 			--text --ignore-case --word-regexp --invert-match
-			--full-name
+			--full-name --line-number
 			--extended-regexp --basic-regexp --fixed-strings
 			--files-with-matches --name-only
 			--files-without-match
diff --git a/grep.c b/grep.c
index 63c4280cac..d67baf9566 100644
--- a/grep.c
+++ b/grep.c
@@ -412,6 +412,19 @@ static int regmatch(const regex_t *preg, char *line, char *eol,
 	return regexec(preg, line, 1, match, eflags);
 }
 
+static int patmatch(struct grep_pat *p, char *line, char *eol,
+		    regmatch_t *match, int eflags)
+{
+	int hit;
+
+	if (p->fixed)
+		hit = !fixmatch(p, line, eol, match);
+	else
+		hit = !regmatch(&p->regexp, line, eol, match, eflags);
+
+	return hit;
+}
+
 static int strip_timestamp(char *bol, char **eol_p)
 {
 	char *eol = *eol_p;
@@ -461,10 +474,7 @@ static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p, char *bol, char *eol,
 	}
 
  again:
-	if (p->fixed)
-		hit = !fixmatch(p, bol, eol, pmatch);
-	else
-		hit = !regmatch(&p->regexp, bol, eol, pmatch, eflags);
+	hit = patmatch(p, bol, eol, pmatch, eflags);
 
 	if (hit && p->word_regexp) {
 		if ((pmatch[0].rm_so < 0) ||
@@ -791,10 +801,7 @@ static int look_ahead(struct grep_opt *opt,
 		int hit;
 		regmatch_t m;
 
-		if (p->fixed)
-			hit = !fixmatch(p, bol, bol + *left_p, &m);
-		else
-			hit = !regmatch(&p->regexp, bol, bol + *left_p, &m, 0);
+		hit = patmatch(p, bol, bol + *left_p, &m, 0);
 		if (!hit || m.rm_so < 0 || m.rm_eo < 0)
 			continue;
 		if (earliest < 0 || m.rm_so < earliest)